In my 1984 boat which has the original power control panel there is a small light labelled "Service". What does this actually indicate?
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Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
In my 1984 boat which has the original power control panel there is a small light labelled "Service". What does this actually indicate?
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
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Hi Duncan,
I have the same year boat, but afraid I cannot tell you.
There are full manuals including wiring schematics in the Members > Technical Articles section ... I bet you'll find it there.
My guess: it is to show that current is reaching the panel when the key is turned to the "on" position.
Since you are working on your engine control panel, be sure to check to see that the LIFE-OR-DEATH upgrade to the engine wiring harness has been done on your boat.
- nick
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
Duncan,
I agree that searching thru the owner's manual would be best. I also agree that checking to make sure the wiring harness upgrade has been done. VERY IMPORTANT! I'll make another guess: the light indicates your shore power is plugged in, and 110V power is reaching the panel.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
I'll agree with Tom. On my Cat 30 (1984) small yellow light indicated that I was connected to AC, believe there was another light for "Polarity" and then a green rectangular light for DC
Gary Bain
S/V "Gone With The Wind"
Catalina 36', Hull #: 1056, Year: 1990, Engine: M-35
Standard Rig
Moored: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Home: Auburn, Maine
Hello All,
I'm a new owner of a 1985 C36. Contimplating some electrical upgrades. Channel Islander mentioned a "LIFE-OR-DEATH" wire harnass upgrade. That sounds somewhat serious :D. Can anyone shed light on the nature of this needed upgrade or perhaps direct to the right forum that discusses this? How would I know if POs made this upgrade? Thank you.
Congrats on your new (to you) boat. Ours is also an '85 (#466).
The wire harness upgrade that you mentioned is discussed in the "members" -- "important notices" tab at the top of the webpage. Here's a direct link:
www.catalina36.org/members/important-notices/wiring-harness-upgrade-must-pre-1993-boats
see also
https://marinehowto.com/universal-diesel-engine-wiring-harness-upgrade
This upgrade should have been done a long time ago, but older C36s seem to still keep popping up with the old harness -- and some nasty consequences as a result: See www.catalina36.org/forum/technical-discussion/electrical-engine-panel-trouble-help
Make sure, while you're at it, that the alternator bracket upgrade was done as well -- another source of problems on older C36s if not attended to.
www.catalina36.org/members/important-notices/universal-m25-alternator-bracket-upgrade-important
and www.pbase.com/mainecruising/universal_alternator_bracket
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Thank you Mr. Chachere,
I just became a paid member and am glad of it! What a wealth of info. In reading the article, on the critical upgrade I am certain the boat was retrofitted with the new harnass, but I will check next time I'm on the boat. For one, a voltmeter sits in place of an ammeter on the ctrl panel. In addition, the alternaator is connected directly from it's positive post to the starter. This tells me the upgrade was done. I will do a final check by removing the ctrl panel and looking for the 12 post term strip. Next project: wire the alternator directly to the house bank, install an ACR and a battery monitor.
Cheers,
Adel
Adel -
As to your "Next project: wire the alternator directly to the house bank, install an ACR and a battery monitor," see this thread:
www.catalina36.org/comment/60852#comment-60852
I diagrammed out how we did all that stuff, and there are links there to some other threads on this subject.
I agree the site has great value; for my part I'm just trying to pay back in a small way for all the great knowledge and insight shared by others the years (especially when we first bought our boat and were very much "at sea").
Take a look, too, at the compendium of improvements compiled by former commodore Tom Soko's, at https://julandra.shutterfly.com/
They inspired many of the things we're done over the years on ours.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
I should have been more clear. I was talking about the electrical control panel (AC/DC) inside the boat. Without doing anything to the boat this light has decided to be on. It is yellowish in color and I guess it just indicates that shore power is connected.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
Assuming you are connected to shore power (AC) than it would indicate that you are connected. I believe as I mentioned the other light I had on my Catalina 30 (also 1984) was for polarity.
Gary Bain
S/V "Gone With The Wind"
Catalina 36', Hull #: 1056, Year: 1990, Engine: M-35
Standard Rig
Moored: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Home: Auburn, Maine
Hm, well, on my 1984 #255 there is only one light inside on the panel, and that is for reverse polarity. It is marked "reverse polarity" but your label may have fallen off. Again, I only have one light on the panel, and it's not to show that it's connected! It's to show reverse polarity which is rather important to know, depending on what you are planning to connect to the AC.
You mentioned that the light just decided to come on; was it not on before? What did change, if "nothing" on the boat? Are you in a different slip? Recently in Santa Barbara Harbor my 1984 panel showed reverse polarity, even though the City maintenance guys' meters didn't pick it up. But I was right, as they found out after tracing the problem back two steps in their AC wiring. So I wouldn't ignore the light!
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
I have the reverse polarity light clearly labelled on my power panel. It turns out that the light I am talking about (clearly labelled "service") merely indicated 12 volts or more on the batteries. It never came on before but I have just finished changing the dc 12v positive supply line to a configuration involving a bus and individual 12v feeds to each fuse. This has removed the voltage drop from the too numerous previous multi-connectors that were in the looped from fuse to fuse 12v supply line. I now have a higher voltage on the diode supply circuit to the light in question which is now on whenever there is a battery swithched on at the main on/off/all/1/2 switch. Previously I am guessing the voltage was just too low to switch this light.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
Duncan,
Glad you figured it out, and very glad you upgraded the electrical panel from the "daisy chain" method of feeding the circuits!
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Thanks Tom
Next step coming soon is to replace all rocker switched and fuses with breakers. :)
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
Duncan,
I did that on Julandra, and also on a friend's C30, and it made a HUGE difference. Used the OEM teak frame with a new piece of acrylic for the panel. Moved the battery switch to a new panel just below, which made room for a lot more breakers and gauges. Good luck with the project.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Thanks Tom. You did a nice job! Your photos and web site have been a great inspiration for me.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
Our '86 C30 had a pannel light that was lit when the Battery Switch was was on the "1", "2" or "Both" position. The boat came from the factory wired for shore power, but only for use with the hot water heater and a couple of plug outlets: it had no AC converter/charging system.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B